Action: Opens salmon fishing.
Effective dates: July 9, 2026, until further notice.
Species affected: Chinook salmon.
Location: Entiat River (Chelan County) from the mouth (railroad bridge) to the Mad River Road Bridge crossing the Entiat River (near Ardenvoir).
Salmon Rules: Minimum size 12 inches. Daily limit six Chinook. Release all salmon other than Chinook. Night closure in effect.
Reason for action: On July 6th, the U.S. versus Oregon Technical Advisory Committee met and downgraded the Columbia River summer Chinook run size to 38,600. This downgrade also decreased the recreational harvest allocation to the point of being unfeasible to open a mainstem Columbia River fishery. While the harvest allocation is insufficient to offer mainstem fishing opportunities, WDFW can open the Entiat River which typically harvests between 100-400 fish. This fishery also has a conservation benefit of removing hatchery-origin summer Chinook from the spawning grounds to reduce impacts to ESA-listed spring Chinook.
Additional information: All other rules listed in the 2026-2027 Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet for the Entiat River remain in effect. This fishery will be monitored closely and may close on short notice if the harvest allocation is met and/or there are excessive impacts to ESA listed spring Chinook.
Fishery managers encourage anglers to sign up for Fishing Rule Change email notifications and to check for emergency rules on the WDFW website before fishing. Refer to the Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet for current regulations. Download the Fish Washington® mobile app to stay up to date on the go.
Information contact: North Central Region, 509-754-4624, Wenatchee District Office, 509-662-0452, TeamEphrata@dfw.wa.gov.